Major new funding drives collaborative model to move people from streets into homes with support
The Slaight Family Foundation has pledged $25 million to support a coordinated, research-driven response aimed at helping Toronto’s most vulnerable residents secure stable housing and essential supports.
The funding will be directed to St. Michael’s Hospital’s MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions and United Way Greater Toronto, forming a joint initiative designed to merge frontline service delivery with data-backed research. The goal is to create a scalable framework that can rapidly move people from encampments and shelters into permanent housing while ensuring ongoing care.
Toronto’s homelessness numbers have surged in recent years, with the population of people experiencing homelessness doubling over the past five years. The scale of the challenge has intensified pressure on social agencies and health providers, prompting calls for more integrated solutions.
Central to the effort is the newly established Slaight Family Housing Lab, a partnership that brings together one of Canada’s leading urban health research centres and the region’s largest non-governmental funder of community services. Leaders involved say the collaboration represents a new way of tackling complex social issues by aligning academic insight with practical, community-based action.
“The Slaight Family Foundation has a history of bringing groups together to address common societal issues. Toronto’s homelessness crisis demands urgent action,” said Gary Slaight, President and CEO of The Slaight Family Foundation. “This gift will demonstrate what’s possible when we invest in collaborative efforts of community organizations dedicated to working together to help those most in need. This gift will create a new model to address homelessness within our city that hopefully will be replicated right across the country.”
The initiative is expected to directly support 300 individuals currently living on the streets or in encampments, providing tailored housing placements alongside comprehensive wraparound services. It will also bolster existing programs that collectively serve more than 16,000 people experiencing homelessness throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
United Way leadership emphasized that bridging health and housing systems is critical to long-term stability.
“Housing and health are inseparable, and this gift breaks down the silos that have kept them apart. By connecting research and data with a network of community agencies, we can move people from encampments and shelters into homes with the supports that keep them housed,” said Heather McDonald, President and CEO of United Way Greater Toronto.
Frontline organizations including Covenant House Toronto, Dixon Hall and Fred Victor will play key roles in delivering services and supporting individuals as they transition into stable accommodation.
Altaf Stationwala, President and CEO of Unity Health Toronto and a United Way trustee, underscored the urgency of collaborative, evidence-based approaches.
“Our deepest thanks to The Slaight Family Foundation for supercharging our collaborative effort to bring evidence-based, research-backed solutions to the urgent challenge of homelessness in Toronto,” he said.
Founded in 2008 by Allan Slaight and now led by his son Gary, The Slaight Family Foundation has directed significant funding toward health care, youth initiatives, social services and culture. The latest commitment marks one of its most substantial investments to date and signals a push toward systemic change in how Toronto confronts homelessness.
